The One Who Stalks Me

A ticklish fear runs down my spine, giving me goosebumps. My mind urges me to turn around and face it. But my fear-gripped heart steers me away from it. With no alternative, I take longer strides in the misty, dark night. Let it not sense your fear, just keep calm, my mind soothes my heart. The waning moon makes the deserted street more eerie. Sinister shadows lurk at every corner...and the shadow of my stalker begins to close in on me.

Hallucination takes control as I see long, skeleton fingers with broken, dirty nails reaching me. I take a sharp gasp. Forgetting my resolution of keeping a calm, unperturbed facade, I start sprinting, eyes darting around like a trapped prey, looking for the sight of a safe haven. Nothing, nothing! My mind begins to panic as well. My panting turns into sobbing as my mind begins to lose hope and my body also decides to concede to my mind. NO! Don’t give up, please! I plead with myself and push my straining muscles further. My faculties bearably cope with my situation.

But my silent, soundless stalker has no difficulty catching up with me. Tears of self-pity and fear streak my face. My heart thumps in my ears. My lungs ache uncontrollably as I gasp for air. I lose my sense of navigation as basic survival skills kicks into action and I run frantically. Closing upon me, I see the sinister shadow from the corner of my eye. If only I had a turbo engine installed in me, a crazy thought races through my mind.

My stalker gains on me, preying on my fear – but – a sudden ray of hope. I perceive city lights ahead. We, both, speed up. Come on! I urge myself. I feel the shadow upon me. Reaching my trainers, then legs, conquering me, part by part, making its way to my heart that is fluttering like a trapped pigeon, struggling to free itself from the menacing force. And just then I stumble across the threshold of light, sprawled on the ground. As I look around, it dawns upon me that once again I beat my shadow of dark.

-Cme`n

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